Investment objective & strategy
As of Sept. 26, 2025 · prospectusObjective. The investment objective of the North Square Select Small Cap Fund (formerly North Square Advisory Research Small Cap Value Fund) (the Fund) is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Strategy. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-capitalization companies. The Fund considers small-capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations generally within the ranges of the Russell 2000 Value Total Return Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2025, the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Value Total Return Index was between $32 million and $17.8 billion. The Funds investments in equity securities primarily include common stock, preferred securities, and convertible securities. While the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. issuers, it may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including those in emerging markets. In keeping with … Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-capitalization companies. The Fund considers small-capitalization companies to be companies with market capitalizations generally within the ranges of the Russell 2000 Value Total Return Index at the time of purchase. As of August 31, 2025, the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Value Total Return Index was between $32 million and $17.8 billion. The Funds investments in equity securities primarily include common stock, preferred securities, and convertible securities. While the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. issuers, it may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including those in emerging markets. In keeping with the Funds investment objective, investments in such foreign issuers is not expected to exceed 20% of the Funds net assets. The Fund follows an investing style that favors value investments. Advisory Research, Inc.s (ARI or Sub-Adviser), the Funds sub-adviser, uses a bottom-up investment approach that seeks to identify companies with attractive valuations relative to their estimated full value. The Sub-Adviser employs a four-step investment process. First, the Sub-Adviser uses a quantitative screen to identify a group of what the Sub-Adviser considers to be value-oriented securities. Second, the Sub-Adviser conducts a thorough fundamental analysis of each company, focusing on key balance sheet information to determine the estimated value of the company. In the third step, the Sub-Adviser analyzes the companies senior management and their business plans with the goal of identifying competent senior management teams that are committed to unlocking value. Finally, the portfolio management team determines whether to buy, wait or pass on those companies that have passed the first three steps. The Sub-Adviser also considers other factors including political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk when selecting foreign (non-U.S.) securities, which may include securities of issuers located in emerging market countries. The Fund also may invest in American, European, and Global Depositary Receipts (ADRs, EDRs, and GDRs, respectively). ADRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. banks. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, except that they may be traded in several international trading markets.
Top holdings
As of Feb. 28, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRIMAS CORP | — | $1.19M | 5.19% |
| NICOLET BANKSHARES INC | — | $1.16M | 5.04% |
| OPENLANE INC | — | $1.13M | 4.94% |
| MYERS INDUSTRIES | — | $1.13M | 4.93% |
| VIAD CORP | — | $1.04M | 4.52% |
| JOHN BEAN TECHNOLOGIES CORP | — | $904.60K | 3.95% |
| NATL PRESTO INDS | — | $895.08K | 3.91% |
| ARCOSA INC | — | $863.49K | 3.77% |
| WEBSTER FINL | — | $834.83K | 3.64% |
| BEL FUSE INC NV CL B | — | $825.58K | 3.60% |
Portfolio moves
Nov 30, 2025 → Feb 28, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| Small Cap Special Values Fund · VSSVX | 9% | 1.01% |
| Royce Premier Fund · RYPRX, RPFIX, RPFFX, RPRCX, RAAFX | 9% | 1.12% |
| First Trust/Confluence Small Cap Value Fund · FOVAX, FOVCX, FOVIX | 9% | 1.35% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| North Square Investments, LLC | Adviser |
| Advisory Research, Inc. | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of September 26, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of February 28, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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